The most positive endorsement I can give him is that he is a neat dresser. Even if it is an empty suit.
To be honest, Representative Mayo does have some accolades and acknowledgements, including last year when Creative Loafing presented him with their Golden Sleaze Award, in part for accepting $500 from a school voucher lobbyist.
This is what Project Vote Smart had to say about Rahn on their website: “Rahn Mayo refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.”
His recent actions regarding HR1162 – a bad piece of legislation that among other things makes taxation without representation constitutional – is profoundly disappointing.
For context, I have written a companion piece to this post on the details of HR 1162 and the much better alternative, HR1335. http://wwwskirtingpolitics.blogspot.com/2012/02/tale-of-two-bills-mosquito.html
Rep. Mayo is a DeKalb County Democrat, yet he was notably absent from the House Democratic Caucus Press Conference on HR1335. Why? Because he refused to stand with his fellow Democrats on this important issue.
Now I don’t believe you always have to vote along party lines, but this is no ordinary vote. This is a vote that would profoundly change the Constitution of Georgia, and which requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber. That makes his desertion especially disturbing considering the proportional differences in party lines.
Yesterday, he cast his vote for the Republican sponsored HR1162. Not only did he cast his vote in favor of HR1162, he went to the well and argued on behalf of it.
But guess what? HR1162 failed by 10 votes. Now poor ole Rahn must be feeling kinda low, as in low down, so perhaps a few welcoming calls would help. And it might help in the days ahead, because it ain’t over yet. HR1162 will be back up for a reconsideration vote before you can say turncoat.
When I questioned Representative Mayo at the Capitol about his actions, he was vague and evasive. To be fair, I asked Rep. Mayo to send me his justification for abandoning his constituents and his Democratic colleagues, and I would include it in this post. The blank space below is where I would have inserted Rep. Mayo’s justification comments. If only he had bothered to provide them.
I lifted this photo off of Rep. Rahn Mayo’s Facebook page; it somehow seemed appropriate.
Rahn Mayo’s Birthday is November 11, and it is not too early to be thinking about an appropriate gift.
The qualifying date to run for Office, such as for state legislature, is May 23-25.
The General Primary is July 31 2012.
The General election is November 6, 2012.
In the meantime, I urge you to call and give Rahn the welcome he deserves. 404.656.6372.
